stir up
verb
stirred up; stirring up; stirs up
1
: to cause (someone) to feel a strong emotion and a desire to do something
The speech stirred up the crowd.
2
: to cause (something) to move up into and through the air or water
The workers stirred up a lot of dust.
3
: to disturb the quiet of : agitate
a bear stirring up the bees
4
: to cause (something, usually something bad or unpleasant) to happen
They're trying to stir up trouble.
But, of course, there's a reason politicians generally try to communicate deliberately: It helps them avoid saying things that might offend voters or stir up controversy.—
Philip Bump
Philip Bump
I'm not a rebel, trying to stir things up just to be provocative.—Norma Klein
Norma Klein
… the incident stirred up a hornet's nest of protest and indignation.—Robert T. Martinott
Robert T. Martinott
Examples of stir up in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
As Season 3 of Euphoria continues to stir up some controversy, one of the show’s stars is perplexed by Cassie’s (Sydney Sweeney) OnlyFans storyline. —Glenn Garner, Deadline, 24 Apr. 2026 While the war has stirred up volatility, earnings results and estimates for US companies — core drivers of stock prices — remain strong. —John Towfighi, CNN Money, 23 Apr. 2026 Progressive leaders have used Larsen’s public comments to stir up their supporters. —Bloomberg, Mercury News, 23 Apr. 2026 One treatment option stirring up interest across the fire zones is bioremediation, a very natural approach. —Kara Finnstrom, CBS News, 23 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for stir up
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Glenn Garner, Deadline, 24 Apr. 2026 While the war has stirred up volatility, earnings results and estimates for US companies — core drivers of stock prices — remain strong. —John Towfighi, CNN Money, 23 Apr. 2026 Progressive leaders have used Larsen’s public comments to stir up their supporters. —Bloomberg, Mercury News, 23 Apr. 2026 One treatment option stirring up interest across the fire zones is bioremediation, a very natural approach. —Kara Finnstrom, CBS News, 23 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for stir up
Cite this Entry
“Stir up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.grautoblog.com/dictionary/stir%20up. Accessed 27 Apr. 2026.
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